Container



June 4, 1963 w. R. SCHOLLE CONTAINER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 29, 1960 INVENTOR. Wmuam R. Sea-mu:

l )l/XZ Ill V United States Patent 3,092,298 CONTAINER William R. Scholle, Newport Beach, Calif., 'assignor to Scholle Chemical Corporation, Northlake, 111., a corporation of Illinois Filed Sept. 29, 1960, Ser. No. 59,240- 2 Claims. (Cl. 229-39) This invention relates to improvements in containers, and particularly to containers of knock-down character, which may be conveniently shipped flat, readily assembled for use, and easily disassembled or knocked down for storage and for subsequent reuse.

The invention is particularly concerned with the knockdown features of a carton bottom, the component flaps of which may be readily secured together in a releasable manner without the aid of glue, tacks, stitches, tape, or the like, and which when secured hold firmly and at the same time may be conveniently upset when desired.

The carton of the present invention is particularly adapted for the reception and packaging of flexible, collapsible, fluent material-containing liner bags composed of plastic sheet material. In the packaging of such and other materials in a continuous manner by filling machinery, while it is generally convenient to seal down the top flaps by adhesive means, it is not so with respect to the bottom flaps which must be joined together before any contents are disposed therein.

Thus, in accordance with the present invention, although the top and bottom flaps of the carton may be similarly adapted for releasable engagement without sealing or stitching means, as previously referred to, the present invention is particularly concerned with the provision of the bottom-forming fiaps of the carton in a manner whereby they may be readily set up and conveniently disengaged.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following specification and accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a blank of corrugated paperboard cut and scored for forming a carton in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective fragmentary view showing the side walls of the carton joined together in tubular form, with all of the end flaps still parallel to the respective side walls.

FIG. 3 is a view similar to that of FIG. 2 with one of the bottom end flaps moved downwardly and within the confines of the side walls.

FIG. 4 is a progressive view showing a step subsequent to that illustrated in FIG. 3, that is, with the intermediate bottom fiaps moved down normal to the side walls.

FIG. 5 is a further progressive view showing the downward movement of the fourth or outermost bottom flap; and

FIG. 6 is a still further progressive view showing all of the bottom-forming flaps in engaged, operative position.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged section on the line 77 of FIG. 6 illustrating in dotted lines the means in which interengagement of the bottom fiap components takes place.

FIG. 8 is a view similar to that of FIG. 6 illustrating use of the fingerhold apertures whereby the bottom flaps may be readily separated and disengaged for the purpose of knocking down the carton.

Referring to the drawings, the blank of FIG. 1 comprises the side wall forming sections 10, 11, 12 and .13 hingedly joined on the score lines 14, 15 and 16. These side walls are set up in tubular form and the outer edges of the panels and 13 secured together in a convenient manner either by a tab integral with one of them not 3,092,298 Patented June 4, 1963 shown, or conveniently by means of an adhesive tape as indicated at 17. Each of these side walls has integral top-forming flaps such as flap 18 hinged to side wall -10 on score line 1%, fiap 2t hinged to side wall 11 on score line 21, flap 22 hinged to side Wall 12 on score line 23, and flap 24 hinged to side wall panel 13 on score line 25.

These may be secured together by adhesive means after the carton has been filled and for knock-down purposes the lines of adhesive may be broken. In the alternative, the top-forming flaps 18, 20, 22 and 24 may be similar to those of the bottom-forming flaps. The latter comprise the first flap 26 hinged to panel 12 on the score line 27, the intermediate flap 28 hinged to panel 13 on the score line 29, the intermediate flap 30 hinged to panel 11 on the score line 31, and the fourth flap 32 hinged to panel 10 on the score line 33.

It will be noted that the panel 32 further comprises a relatively short flap 34 hinged to the outer edge thereof on the score line 35. It will be still further noted that flap 28 is cut away or notched at its edge 36 which is ad- .jacent to flap 26, and that likewise flap 30 is similarly notched or cut away as at 37 adjacent to the flap 26.

In setting up the carton bottom, the flap 26 is first depressed downwardly within the confines of the side walls and desirably substantially parallel to its component side wall 12. Thereafter the intermediate panels 28 and 30 are folded down into substantial abutment and normal to the side walls. It will be noted from the illustrations that the cut-away ends 36 and 37 of the panels 30 and 28, respectively, leave a space from the hinge line 27 between flap 26 and side Wall 12. Thus, the fourth or outermost bottom panel 32 is last folded down as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, with the tab 34 bent on its hinge line 35, and the tab 34 then projected through the slot left at the ends of panels 28 and 30, as best shown in FIG. 5, the tab 34 entering above the first and inwardly bent flap 26.

Following this, the flap 26 is bent upwardly as shown in dotted lines in the section of FIG. 7 to a position normal to the side walls and in substantially plane parallel relationship to the intermediate flaps 28 and 30 and the outermost flap 32. At the same time the tab 34 is caused to be return bent on its hinge line 35 to likewise assume a plane parallel relationship to the remaining end flaps and in a secured locking position.

The outermost or fourth tab 32 is formed with a fingerhold aperture 38 adjacent its component tab 34, and the intermediate flap 30 is likewise formed with a fingerhold aperture 39 which registers with the aperture 38. Thus, as shown in FIG. 8, a finger may be inserted within the apertures 38 and 39, and by an upward movement of the hand the flap 34 will be caused to be withdrawn from looking engagement and the assembly of the bottomforming flaps disassociated to permit the entire container to be collapsed for storage, and reuse.

As previously indicated, the container of the present invention is particularly adapted for reception and packaging of a flexible liner bag, and to this end the innermost bottom flap 26, as will be noted, is in one piece and fills the entire cross-sectional area of the container. This eliminates the necessity for providing a protective bottom liner or filler and, due to its one-piece character, serves to provide a smooth surface and is an aid in preventing rupture of the plastic liner bag by abrasion during shipment.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be apparent that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A rectangular paperboard container comprising tour side Walls, flaps hinged .to the ends of said side walls forming a top closure, and flaps hinged to the opposed ends of said side walls forming a bottom closure, a first one of said'bottom forming flaps having a width equal to its side wall and alength equal to the adjacent side Walls, an

, opposed vpair of intermediatebottom forming flaps hinged to said adjacent side walls overlying said first flap, said intermediate flaps having a total length substantially equal to the width of said first flap, and an outermost flap hinged to the fourth side having an area substantially equal to that of said first flap overlying said intermediate flaps, and a tab hinged to the outermost edge of said fourth flap return bent and disposed between said first and said intermediate flaps forming a releasable bottom lock, and means formed in said fourth flap and one of said underlying intermediate'flaps comprising aligned finger-hold apertures for facilitating release of said locking engagement.

2. A paperboard blank cut and scored to define four rectangular side walls, flaps hinged to the ends of said side walls adapted to be brought into overlapping engagement and to be secured together to form a top closure, and flaps hinged to the opposed ends of said side Walls and adapted to be brought together into overlapping engagement and releasably secured together to form a bottom closure, a first one of said bottom forming flaps having '4 a width equal to its side wall and a length equal to the adjacent side walls, an opposed pair of intermediate bot tom forming flaps hinged to the adjacent side walls adapted to overlie said first flap and endwise spaced from the hinge line of the first flap, said intermediate flaps having a total length substantially equal to the Width of said first flap, and a fourth flap hinged to the fourth side panel adapted to be erected opposite said first panel and having an area substantially equal thereto and adapted to overlie said intermediate panels, and a relatively short tab hinged to the outer end of said fourth flap adapted to be return bent through the said endwise spacing of the intermediate panels and to project between said first panel and said intermediate panels to thereby form a releasable bottom lock, said fourth fiap' and one of said intermediate flaps being formed with finger-hold apertures adapted to be brought into registry for facilitating release of said locking engagement.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 321,181 Birley June 30*, 1885 1,387,167 Peck Aug. 9, 1921 1,755,690 Heim Apr. 22,1930 2,306,328 Biberthaler Dec. 22, 1942 

1. A RECTANGULAR PAPERBOARD CONTAINER COMPRISING FOUR SIDE WALLS, FLAPS HINGED TO THE ENDS OF SAID SIDE WALLS FORMING A TOP CLOSURE, AND FLAPS HINGED TO THE OPPOSED ENDS OF SAID SIDE WALLS FORMING A BOTTOM CLOSURE, A FIRST ONE OF SAID BOTTOM FORMING FLAPS HAVING A WIDTH EQUAL TO ITS SIDE WALL AND A LENGTH EQUAL TO THE ADJACENT SIDE WALLS, AN OPPOSED PAIR OF INTERMEDIATE BOTTOM FORMING FLAPS HINGED TO SAID ADJACENT SIDE WALLS OVERLYING SAID FIRST FLAP, SAID INTERMEDIATE FLAPS HAVING A TOTAL LENGTH SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THE WIDTH OF SAID FIRST FLAP, AND AN OUTERMOST FLAP HINGED TO THE FOURTH SIDE HAVING AN AREA SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THAT OF SAID FIRST FLAP OVERLYING SAID INTERMEDIATE FLAPS, AND A TAB HINGED TO THE OUTERMOST EDGE OF SAID FOURTH FLAP RETURN BENT AND DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SAID INTERMEDIATE FLAPS FORMING A RELEASABLE BOTTOM LOCK, AND MEANS FORMED IN SAID FOURTH FLAP AND ONE OF SAID UNDERLYING INTERMEDIATE FLAPS COMPRISING ALIGNED FINGER-HOLD APERTURES FOR FACILITATING RELEASE OF SAID LOCKING ENGAGEMENT. 